True Art's Form
by wolfensilverobsidian
Summary: "You know, Sakura, my art isn't the only thing that's a bang, un," Deidara proclaimed, clapping a smirking hand to his chest, which, ironically, housed his ultimate Explosion Release technique. "This feeling i get when we're together... it's the biggest explosion of all."


Sakura had only seen Deidara once in her entire life, when she managed to kill Sasori with the help of his grandmother, Chiyo. But that was years ago. He had looked so different then.

But here she was now, staring him in the face in an intensifying standoff which could only mean one thing- shit was about to go _down_. Honestly. They had been trapped in this pointless dance for over ten minutes, neither of them making a move. The stupid prick would only smirk at her, taunting her and gloating over his 'art'. Spitting chunks of clay out of your hands? That wasn't art in any form, except for maybe a troubled preschool child with a devastating lack of imagination.

Sakura almost rolled her eyes at the mere thought of a much tinier version of the blonde Akatsuki member sitting at a small round table, trying in vain to sculpt out masterpieces with tiny hands that housed tiny mouths.

"Come on, un. Don't just stand there like a waste of space. I have some friends who wanna come out and play."

This time she actually did roll her eyes. "Don't be a hypocrite." She scoffed lightly and made a gesture towards his hands, which were currently nosing about in his clay pouches that were situated on both of his hips. "I mean, what are you going to throw at me? Chipmunks?" she shuddered theatrically at the prospect. She watched as Deidara's one visible and strikingly blue eye darkened with rage at the insinuation of her words. The sounds of chewing became much more prominent and the next thing she knew, Sakura was about to be hit by a clay bird which was rapidly coming closer, flapping its wings madly. She back flipped out of harm's reach with the help of chakra not a second before it exploded, and narrowly avoided the blow.

"Art is an explosion, un! It's time I show you my art's true form- maybe then you won't underestimate my abilities." He smirked in that familiarly irritating way. Sakura growled angrily and charged at him, her right hand glowing with medical chakra as chakra scalpels formed themselves along the ridge of her knuckles.

"I'll show you ability! Shannaro!" she dashed towards him until she was a mere few feet away before leaping. Instead of going for the man himself, however, Sakura shot to the earth with an ear-splitting crack which rocked the ground beneath her feet. Boulders and debris shot upwards into the sky and she used the Akatsuki member's distraction to her benefit. Sensing his chakra in the midst of her handiwork she ran forth once again and swiped at him.

Deidara exploded.

Sakura flew backwards with the strength of the blow and picked herself up off the ground with some effort. Her clothing was singed, there was a nasty burn running up the length of her dominant hand and the real Deidara was nowhere to be seen. Her injuries were quickly adding up, but she couldn't afford to spend time and chakra healing herself- she had to focus on the offensive.

A cloud passed overhead, blocking out the sun for less than a second before the brightness returned full-force, temporarily blinding her eyes in the process as she glanced up to get a better look.

Oh. How ironic.

This cloud was shaped like a giant clay bird with a certain annoying blonde riding atop its back. What a disadvantage this was. Sakura snarled in agitation and reached into her weapons pouch. Her hand soon retreated bearing a handful of kunai and shiruken. She infused each weapon with some of her chakra and threw them directly into the bird's flight path with deadly accuracy, anticipating the end result with a tinge of desperate hope. However, it seemed the blonde had increased his abilities over the years, and thus easily managed to steer himself and the clay bird he was riding on out of the path of projectiles. Sakura looked on with a sinking feeling of dread as each and every one of her weapons flew harmlessly past.

She could hear a light, airy laugh emanate from fifty meters above the ground as Deidara stared down upon her battered form, sliding a hand down his face dramatically in animated disappointment. "Che. You're weak, un. I really don't see what Leader wants with you."

"Shut the fuck up! You... girl! Tell me where Sasuke is!"

he merely cocked an eyebrow. "You seriously think I'd tell the likes of you? I'm not one to betray my comrades, un. He probably doesn't want to see you anyway. He has bigger and better things to care about these days."

Sakura could feel her face reddening with shame, embarrassment and anger. "Shut _up_!" She felt pathetic, screeching up at the blonde nin from her helpless vantage point. She decided to distract him with words until she could think up a better plan. "How can you call those murdering criminals comrades? They're_... evil_!"

Deidara shrugged carelessly. "That's like asking you how your precious Sasuke_-kun_ managed to get himself tangled with Madara and Orochimaru." He guided his bird closer to the ground, watching the pinkette closely. "You think you know a person, un, and then they go and do something completely unexpected."

Sakura couldn't help but to think back to her one and only love, Uchiha Sasuke. He never really tolerated her and was always so cold to everyone, except Naruto, but she kept trying... because she was in love with him. She cared about him. She may have started out as just another stupid, crazy fan girl, but over time they had spent together as a four-man cell with Kakashi-sensei and Naruto, she came to learn more about him and develop feelings for the raven-haired boy on a much deeper level. It had crushed her when Sasuke abandoned the village, having left her to sleep on a bench on the route out of Konoha with nothing but a vague "_Thank you_." Her life really sucked.

Deidara watched as multiple emotions played across the kunoichi's face and smirked, amused. "Man, un, it must _suck_ to be you."

Sakura snapped out of her thoughts and glared harshly at the annoying blonde. "Like your life story is any better! Kami. I'm happy you left Iwa, though. At least now there's one less asshole residing within its borders. My missions will be made that much less irritating."

His eyes narrowed into a most unpleasant expression as his hands emerged from their respective clay pockets, vomiting up dozens upon dozens of clay sculptures which were loaded up with explosive chakra. "You've done it now, un. I'm gonna really make you wish you never said that."

###

-This is the beginning bit to a story I would like to eventually complete, although _All at Once_ is still first and foremost my priority until it's completed. This was just an idea I had that I'd like to expand on when I have the time. Let me know what you think? Comments are greatly appreciated ^-^


End file.
